Real Good Food In Faux Courtyard

Taste of Tidewater

WILLIAMSBURG — The Courtyard Cafe has no courtyard, but owners Doug and Doris Bryant did the next best thing. They created a garden atmosphere on the inside.

The dining areas are bright and airy, decorated with flowered and plaid wallpapers in pinks and aqua blue, comfortable booths and painted window boxes. One wall has a picket fence with flowers and butterflies.

The cafe opened in the Williamsburg Crossing shopping center in 1990, and the Bryants added another dining room in 1998 to expand the seating from 60 to 100. Doug describes his food as simple and good, and I agree. Many of the items, such as the soups and sauces, are homemade.

When my husband and I arrived at around 5:30 p.m. on a rainy Saturday evening, there were about a half dozen tables occupied in the two dining areas. That number increased as the evening went on and the downpour subsided.

We started with a glass of wine and a beer from the "Choices from the Pond" section of the menu. A small selection of wines is available by the glass (a generous 8 ounces) or the bottle, including three from the Williamsburg Winery. I opted for a glass of Lindeman's Chardonnay ($5.50), which our waitress poured at the table. My husband had a Corona ($3.25).

We enjoyed a Cheddar cheese spread and crackers, which comes with the entrees. There are additional appetizers, called "Stepping Stones," including a homemade soup of the day, chicken tenders and mushroom caps stuffed with crabmeat.

I decided to make a meal of the soup of the day ($3.35) and a salad ($6.55) from "On the Lighter Side." Our waitress said the soup, a tomato bisque, was one of her favorites, and I can understand why.

She asked me if I wanted a cup or a bowl. I'm glad I said a bowl. It was delicious, with a rich and creamy tomato base, shreds of chicken, pasta spirals, chunks of tomato and a savory combination of spices.

The Athens' Flair salad ($6.55) was good and simple as well. The Greek salad features anchovies, feta cheese, black olives, pepperoncini and a homemade Greek dressing. Though big enough and fresh --with lots of feta -- it lacked a zestiness that I prefer.

My husband selected crab cakes ($13.95) from the "Harbor's Edge." The two baked crab cakes were good and firmly packed with finely shredded crabmeat. He also got the cheese appetizer, house salad, coleslaw and French fries, which he selected over the baked potato. The house salad was a good-size plate of crisp lettuce, tomatoes and onion rings topped with his choice of a honey- mustard dressing.

Most of the desserts are made at the local Carrot Tree Kitchens on Jamestown Road and are worth saving room for. The selection changes according to the season and the owners' whims. However, there is a core list that includes an assortment of cheesecakes, carrot, coconut and peanut butter fudge cakes, and Raymond's Revenge -- a chocolate cake with raspberry filling that's named after Doug's father and made especially for the Cafe. I chose a rich three-layer coconut cake ($3.50) with a cream cheese filling. My husband ordered the ice cream with fresh strawberries ($3.99) served in an old-fashioned sundae dish and topped with a cookie.

There is also a good selection of sandwiches on the dinner menu, plus a children's menu that includes chicken tenders, shrimp and grilled cheese.

Our waitress was eager and friendly throughout the meal. We asked for her favorites from each of the clever entree sections, which were called "Little Italy," "Butcher's Block" and "Harbor's Edge." She said she liked the chicken parmigiana with spaghetti, the Delmonico steak and the salmon.

The next time we go, I will try the salmon and the Raymond's Revenge. But the tomato bisque will be hard to pass up.